Monday, May 31, 2010

I'm the baker and Robert is the cook in the family. Lately, he has been very interested in making his own dairy and pasta. We haven't tracked down a good pasta maker at the local thrift store yet, but I will share with you his recent adventures in making his own yogurt.

Homemade yogurt means cutting out extra sugar and artificial additives. Check out our blog post over on Granville Online to see how easy it is to create your own yogurt as well as options to make it vegan friendly.

Did you know that Robert and I contribute to a DIY Vancouver blog on Granville Online? Check it out here.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Beginning in 2002, the UK launched a scheme where pet owners could avoid a 6 month quarantine for cats and dogs. We did a bit of research and found a vet at Cats Only that has gone through the process before. This hopefully will make it a lot smoother for us.

The company that her original microchip is from is no longer in business and does not meet ISO standards for microchips. So Cleo has her first appointment at the Vet tomorrow to have a new microchip embedded. Afterwards, Cleo will need a rabies shot and a blood test a few weeks later to make sure that she has the required amount of the rabies vaccine in her blood. She wil then be required to complete a Veterinary Certificate which is a document that shows her microchip number, the rabies vaccine and blood test information and confirms that she has met all of the requirements to travel. It's not over yet. 24 to 48 hours prior to the date we leave, she has to go back to the Vet for a tick and tape worm treatment. Poor kitty!

Currently, the only airline that allows cats to travel in the cabin with the owner is Air Canada and you must fly into the Heathrow airport. There has been some discussion amongst people about a possible human rights tribunal put forth by people who are allergic to cats. They feel that their human rights have been violated by allowing cats in the cabin. This is still up for discussion. Fingers crossed that our little 'muk muk' can travel in the cabin with us.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Although we have no official date set, our big move is planned for February 2011. Yup. Scary and exciting... scary and exciting.. scary and exciting...

As part of our Ancestry Visa application, we needed to obtain copies of marriage certificates from Robert's grandparents (Father's side), parents and for the both of us. Of course, when we got married six years ago, we noticed an error on our marriage license and never did anything about it. My birth date that was printed on the certificate had the wrong year. Oops! So, we figured that before we got denied somewhere along the process, to get it fixed. Apparently, if it is their error (which it was), they will issue you a new one at no cost. Score!

In addition to the marriage license, we also had to apply for copies of the birth certificates for Robert's grandfather, father and himself. Holy paperwork Batman! Now having all that sorted out, we wait to file our Visa application in October which is three months from our departure date.

Monday, May 17, 2010

We returned home late yesterday afternoon. Portland, as usual, was fantastic. I love that City and can't wait to get back there. Thinking we need to find a nice vacation rental and stay for a week or so.

Croissants from Grand Central rival those from France. I pinky swear. I can't find one in Vancouver that even comes close! Flaky on the outside and soft in the inside with a side of Stumptown coffee.

Knittn Kitten is a craft instutition in Portland. It's a thrift store, so stock is constantly changing.

Thanks to Twitter, we had the opportunity to meet TinyMeat (last December) and Robyn (this recent trip) which are two of the sweetest people ever! You can check out TinyMeat's Etsy store here or if you are in Portland, you can check out my goods (Roxypop) over at his shop!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

To be honest, when they first mentioned that they were getting married at a Fishing Lodge, I was like "umm.. ok... fishing?". They neglected to mention that it was the most beautiful Fishing Lodge ever! The Fraser Valley Fishing Lodge located in Agassiz is about 1.5 hours away from Vancouver, but look how gorgeous it is! This backdrop could have easily been Penticton, Banff... Swiss Alps... you name it.

Don't forget to mention the bison and sheep wandering around (the bison do wander.. just s-l-o-w-l-y) ...

Sarah and Cory filled jam jars full of her grandfather's honey for wedding favours ...

The canoe bar!

Beautiful cake made by a friend and check out those amazing flowers made of sugar ...

One final look ... stunning!

Congrats S&C! I can't wait to see the wedding pictures. Hope you have a fantastic trip to Hawaii!

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